Thursday, September 28, 2006

So I'm sitting here, checking out other blogs, looking in on my friends, when there's a knock at the door. It's 9:30 am, and I am not dressed. I figure that it's the mailman, 'cause I'm waiting for my way cool e bay purchases. Nope. It's the landlord. Uh-oh. This means that I can't just stick my head out the door and yell 'leave it on the porch.' What to do....See, my landlord is an old fashioned german man, about 80 years old. He'll want to come right in, have a coffee...Yeah. Like I'm in the mood to entertain. So, I think, ignore him, he'll go away and he'll phone later. He never speaks to me anyway, 'cause I'm just the lady of the house. So, I wait. He keeps knocking. And knocking. KC is upstairs in the tub, and now I'm praying that she doesn't scream out 'hey, ma, get the door.' She doesn't. She's hip to the act and she comes tip toeing down quietly. Landlord is STILL there, banging. Then, he tries the door knob. Now what? It's not locked...If he sees me standing there, watching the door, he'll think I'm a freak...I am but I see no reason for the landlord to know this. A woman has to have some secrets, after all. If I lock the door, he'll hear the latch click. So,I did the only thing that I could do. When he tried to push his way in, I pushed back. I hope that he thinks that we just have a loose knob.( Yeah, I know, something is loose). Meanwhile, the dogs are barking theirs tails off, the blue jay is shrilling, and the cockatools are flapping around their cage like the house is on fire. I wonder if he knows that I was home? I wonder how he would like it if I just came right into his house? ( He came busting right in on Hubby and I once when we were home alone. If that man would have come in 2 minutes earlier, he would've had a stroke, if you get my drift.) I don't know how to handle this situation with the guy. Not only is it illegal to come busting in on someone, it's down right rude. If my kids were home alone and he did that, they would be scared half to death. We have already explained to him that it scares us when someone just comes busting in like that. I don't know what else to say. Any ideas? I love our little house, but this is driving me crazy. When we fiest moved in, the landlord came right in to my kitchen, through the back yard, and we almost lost a couple of rabbits that were loose, because they left the door wide open. Ok. So I have rambled and vented. Thanks for listening, and PLEASE offer up any advice. I'll be waiting.....

20 comments:

I wish I had some advice honey. I don't have a landlord. The thing you just described is reserved for the Johovah's Witnesses when they come knocking. It is illegal for him to just walk in, he has to give notice. Have you thought about putting a chain on the door? Just for when your home.

A chain is a good idea...The only problem is, then he'll know that I'm here. Thankfully, he doesn't have a key. We changed the locks when we moved in, because the landlord had lost ALL of the keys. I just keep 'forgetting' to hav e set made for him. I might put a chain on though. At least that way he won't make it all the way in...

I have tried to dicuss my concerns with him, but he doesn't listen to me. My kids would seriously freak out if they were home alone and just came in. He isn't coming IN for any reason, he just stops by sometimes or has something to tell us. Our house is owned by the church next door, and he is the person that manages the rental properties. We see him a couple times a month because of this. He just tries to come in to see if anyone is home. I know that it's illegal, but I love my house, and we don't want to take any action against our ladlords. (especially since Hubby just got laid off and rent will be late.) Our house is so cute, and I finally have a garden, my own driveway, andit's a real house, I don't share a wall with anyone. If it weren't for this one thing, I would be SOO happy. The other problem is that he (lanlord) won't listen to me because I'm just a woman. A couple of months ago, he wouldn't even take the rent from me. He wanted to deal with Hubby. Too bad my dog sare big babies. a fright from the dogs might be enough for him to keep his distance.

I have a landlord and he is nice he knocks at my door and waits if I am not in he will come back, and any jobs I need doing he does them as soon as possible.If I were you and my landlord did that I would bust his ass, threaten him with authorities see if that works, if a word from your hubby wont do it that is your only option, maybe if the dogs gave him a fright at his time of life he may be no more LOL!!!

Does he do the same thing when he knows your husband is home? Maybe you could take it up with the church if they own the property. I had a neighbor that did that and it was pretty unsettling - we finally started locking the doors.

gawilli- I thought about taking it up with the church...Hubby thought that might embarrass Mr. German, and in the process create problems between us. It is rather unsettling. I moved here because I want my privacy, above all. her indoors- I HAVE told him to knock, to phone 1st if he wants to come by. He doesn't listen to women...I belong in the kitchen, apparently. 4D- I think that if he comes in again, I'll show him what goes on behind closed doors!!lady&cindy- he is a good landlord in so many ways. I will have to get Hubby to speak to him, AGAIN. Maybe an alarm on the door...That may give him a stroke...Oops.

Hiya,In Australia we have a tennants privacy act that means that landlords can't just appear whenever they wish. Don't know what the laws are in Canada but surely there must be something that protects your rights as tennants. Perhaps if you google tennacy laws in Canada they might put you onto something.

kate isis - We hav elaws like that here, too. I just don't want to get legal on his ass unless I have to. I want to have a good relationship with my landlord, and he doesn't understand that there are laws about entering somone's home. The man has got to be 80, and it seems as though he is stuck about 80 years in the past. Hopefully, after Hubby speak swith him, he'll get the hint. I swear, he WILL see us doing something one of these days. It'll scar the poor old guy for the rest of his days. Thanks for stopping by! Your my 1st Australian visitor.

All ideas are GREAT! My favorite though is being naked when he opens it, or maybe put yourself in a compromising position that would completely embarass him. Hubby definitely needs to talk to him about privacy, kids, wife...and if he acted like it bothered him that he would just come into HIS house without being invited it might make a difference.

Hey-different subject. Do you have cockatoos or cockateils? I couldn't help but notice in the blog. I have a Goffins cockatoo. Her name is Beaker and she is a handful. I'm surprised your birds aren't guarding the house. Beaker tries to!

dj andi - we have cookatiels...We call them cockaTOOLS because they're a little spazzy. I would LOVE a cockatoo. Every year I think that this will be my year to buy one.....It just hasn't happened yet. My kids tell me that someday when they are rich, they'll buy me one...My Blue Jay would take a piece outta someone, if he were in the mood. He gets into everything. He knows how to let himself out of his cage, so I have to watch him like a hawk....

I started with cockateils. I had 2 before Beaker (my cockatoo). My first cockatiel's name was Mr. Peabody (that is until he layed an egg), then I had to change it to Mrs. Peabody. She did everything with me. She showered with me, ate with me (and ate from my plate) and sat on my shoulder while I put on my make up. She was cool. It was a sad day when she died, I think she had an egg that stuck in her...not really sure. My second cockateil's name was Little Boots (from Caligula). he was never friendly. He was pretty but could care less to be touched or out of the cage.

I wasn't planning to buy Beaker when I got her but I was looking in an Aviarium and she was so sweet. She had been hand raised and I just had to take her home.

Do not buy a big bird if you don't have lots of time because Beaker is like a 3 year old - everyday. Today she started eating the leather on my office chair - you know that made me happy.